The political leadership of the southern Sudan People's Liberation Movement are due to meet next week to decide whether to back Omar al-Bashir for the presidency in April 2010, or to put up their own candidates in conjunction with a range of northern political parties.

BBC: Critical year ahead for Sudan amid fears of war

The rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement, which controls most of southern Sudan, has already printed 60 tonnes of the new notes, and last week rumour had it they were about to issue them.

ECONOMIST: A currency split in a split country

The discussions, held in Kenana, in White Nile state, have the broad support of the southern ruling party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and some northern opposition parties.

ECONOMIST: An end to the war?

Mr Bashir let the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, the main southern group, reshuffle its ministers, but it refused to rejoin the government unless the north implemented its side of the agreement on issues such as troop withdrawal and boundary demarcations.

ECONOMIST: Politics this week | The